—r— r-^-^-r-,  SECOND    EDITION. 


THE 


7^^', 


ITRUS 


*° 


RUIT 


ELT 


OF 


SOUTHERN  «  ARIZONA 


BY 


Commissioner  of  Immigration. 


CROCKER  4  GO'S  PRINT, 
SAN  FRANCISCO. 


7/.  ^.;iiii|^ ,  ;iiii  ji/.  ;nii|iig^_ .  _'<iiinii^.  }'«tiijp^v^li^ 


PHCENIX,    ARIZONA, 

1887. 


^F? 


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THE 

^  Citrus 


(^ 


)  ^"^  Fruit 


Belt 


OF 


Southern  Arizona. 


BY 


CAMERON    H.    KING, 

Commissioner  of  Immigration. 


PHCENIX,     ARIZONA, 

1887. 


outhernArizonas 


FRUIT  LANDS, 


Happy  Homes,  Health  and  Wealth. 


v^KIZONA  is  divided  by  the  thirty-fourth  parallel  of  north 

l|'  latitude  into  two  climatic  zones,  each  distinct  from  the 
p     other.     On   the   elevated   plateau   of  Northern   Arizona, 

^;sr^  between  the  southern  boundary  of  Utah  and  the  thirty- 
fourth  parallel,  four  thousand  to  six  thousand  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea,  the  temperature  ranges  during  the  year  from  90°  to  10° 
above  zero.  South  of  this  region  the  altitude  is  from  two  thousand 
to  four  thousand  feet  less  and  the  climate  is  much  warmer. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  pamphlet  to  speak  of  northern  Ari- 
zona— its  delightful  and  invigorating  climate,  its  immense  forests  of 
timber,  its  extensive  coal  measures,  its  marvelous  mines  of  gold, 
silver  and  copper,  its  unexcelled  grazing  lands,  its  valleys  which 
grow  in  endless  profusion  all  kinds  of  cereals,  vegetables  and  the 
hardier  fruits,  its  fertile  soil  equal  in  productive  capacity  to  that  of 
any  portion  of  the  world, — all  these  deserve  and  will  receive  attention 
in  a  future  article. 

Our  subject  at  present  will  be  Southern  Arizona  and  its  remark- 
able adaptability  to  fruit  growing. 


4  SOUTHERN    ARIZONA. 

The  culture  of  fruit  returns  to  the  farmer  a  profit  so  much 
greater  than  that  derived  from  any  other  branch  of  agriculture  in 
proportion  to  the  extent  of  land  cultivated  and  labor  employed  that 
the  wonderful  capabilities  of  the  valleys  of  Southern  Arizona  for 
fruit  [raising  have  awakened  a  steadily  increasing  interest  in  this 
industry. 

Southern  Arizona  possesses  every  requirement  of  soil  and  climate 
necessary  to  transform  it  into  the  finest  orchard  and  vineyard  dis- 
trict in  the  world. 

As  the  public  lands  are  being  taken  up  by  individuals  the  value 
of  all  that  which  is  adapted  to  the  cultivation  of  the  high-priced 
fruits  is  advancing. 

The  demand  for  fruit  lands  is  increasing.  In  Southern  California 
very  little  uncultivated  fruit  land  can  be  obtained  at  less  than  two 
hundred  dollars  an  acre  and  a  much  greater  price  is  frequently 
paid. 

Attention  is  directed  to  the  public  domain  as  comprising  the 
last  cheap  land  which  is  within  the  reach  of  the  man  of  moderate 
means. 

Twenty-five  years  ago  in  the  United  States  Senate,  Ben  Wade, 
the  distinguished  Senator  from  Ohio,  declared  that  before  the  close 
of  this  century  each  acre  of  agricultural  land  in  the  United  States 
would  be  worth  fifty  dollars.  It  was  no  thoughtless  expression — no 
idle  declamation.  Its  truth  has  long  since  been  apparent  except 
perhaps  that  the  value  of  the  land  should  have  been  placed  at  a 
higher  figure. 

The  portions  of  the  public  domain  adapted  to  agriculture  are 
rapidly  being  appropriated  by  individuals.  The  Western  States  and 
Territories  are  filling  up  with  an  active,  industrious  and  energetic 
people.  Westward  from  the  Mississippi  and  eastward  from  the 
Pacific  the  ever-increasing  population  of  this  great  republic  is  spread- 
ing out  and  covering  the  arable  lands  w^hich  lie  between. 

Already  there  is  manifested  a  deep  anxiety  to  secure  homes 
while  yet  homes  >re  given  by  a  generous  government  to  actual  set- 
tlers. 

Southern  Arizona  oflfers  to  the  immigrant  a  home  where  a 
perfect  climate  insures  health  and  comfort ;  where  land  is  abundant 


SOUTHERN   ARIZONA.  O 

and  cheap ;  where  the  soil  is  rich,  lasting  and  wonderfully  prolific ; 
where  bounteous  nature  renders  the  greatest  return  for  labor ;  where 
varied  resources  are  being  rapidly  developed ;  where  excellent  edu- 
cational facilities  are  ever  at  hand ;  where  railroads  will  bring  to  his 
door  the  luxuries  of  life  and  transport  to  market  the  produce  of  his 
farm  ;  where  neither  cyclone,  blizzard  nor  winter  blast  is  known,  but 
the  balmy,  pure  dry  and  life-giving  air  restores  and  preserves  health, 
imparting  vigor  to  brain  and  muscle ;  where  schools,  churches,  news- 
papers, society,  intelligence  and  refinement  abide  and  a  rich  territory 
is  developing  into  a  great  and  prosperous  State. 


CLIMATE 


'HE  climate  of  Southern  Arizona,  is  unsurpassed  by  that  of 
any  part  of  the  United  States.  It  is  destined  to  be  the 
great  health  resort  and  sanitarium  of  the  continent.  The 
f^]  statistics  of  the  various  military  posts  in  Arizona,  show 
that  they  are  the  healthiest  in  the  Union.  It  is  attested  by  the 
signal  service  of  the  United  States  that  in  the  Sacramento  and  San 
Joaquin  valleys  of  California,  the  average  temperature  is  higher  than 
in  any  part  of  Arizona.  The  summer  heat  is  never  so  oppressive  as 
it  is  in  the  cities  of  New  York  or  St.  Louis,  while  fogs  and  mists  are 
unknown.  The  atmosphere  is  warm,  but  it  is  so  dry,  clear  and  light 
that  the  heat  does  not  oppress.  The  busy  farmer  toils  beneath  the 
summer  sun  without  experiencing  any  discomfort,  and  sunstrokes  are 
unknown. 

I  reprint  from  Hon.  Patrick  Hamilton's  "  Arizona  for  Homes," 
the  opinion  of  Dr.  N.  H.  Matas,  an  eminent  physician  of  Tucson, 
Pima  County.     Speaking  of  Southern  Arizona,  Dr.  Matas  says : 

"  With  an  average  minimum  temperature  of  40°  and  maximum 
of  80°  for  nearly  eight  months  of  the  year,  with  constant  sunshine, 
dry  and  balmy  air,  green  trees  and  grasses,  and  blooming  flowers, 
this  climate  constitutes  a  true  paradise. 

The  climate  of  Florida  is  far  inferior  to  ours,  and  cannot  be  com- 
pared but  as  a  shadow  of  our  winter  resort.     There  is  not  the  dry 


6  SOUTHERN   ARIZONA. 

aDd  uniform  temperature  which  we  enjoy  here,  nor  the  light,  elastic 
and  invigorating  air  we  breathe  for  eight  months. 

The  celebrated  shores  of  Italy  and  Spain  cannot  compare  either, 
with  any  spot  of  Southern  Arizona  as  a  winter  climate ;  and  it  is 
only  a  question  of  time  when  the  people  of  the  East  and  other  parts 
of  our  country,  and  even  from  Europe,  w^ho  have  delicate  health  or 
are  actually  afflicted  with  consumption,  asthma,  or  other  troubles  of 
the  respiratory  organs,  will  come  here  by  thousands. 

How  many  perish  yearly  in  our  Eastern  States,  whose  lives  could 
be  saved  if  they  only  could  breathe  for  six  months,  the  air  of  this 
region ! 

We  have  many  of  those  invalids  who  have  made  their  permanent 
homes  here. 

Our  medical  statics  compares  advantageously  with  that  of  the 
most  healthy  cities  of  the  world,  to  the  great  disappointment  of  the 
few  physicians  who  live  here. 

We  have  no  blizzards,  storms  or  sudden  changes  of  weather,  and 
are  free  from  many  diseases  and  epidemics. 

Our  death-rate  is  about  ten  per  1,000  population  per  year, 
including  mining,  railroad  casualties,  old  age,  children,  and  people 
from  the  surrounding  country. 

In  summer  we  have  a  rainy  season  in  July  and  August,  but  even 
then  hardly  a  day  passes  without  sunshine. 

From  June  to  September  we  have  hot  weather,  and  some  days 
for  a  few  hours,  the  thermometer  will  rise  to  110°,  but,  even  at  this 
high  temperature,  the  heat  is  not  so  oppressive  here  as  it  is  in  New 
York  or  New  Orleans  when  the  thermometer  marks  80°. 

We  never  have  any  sunstrokes  in  summer,  nor  are  we  oppressed 
by  perspiration.  The  light,  dry  air  absorbs  it  immediately,  causing 
a  very  agreeable,  cool  and  refreshing  sensation.  Nights  are  always 
cool  and  pleasant  in  summer. 

Southern  California  has  advertised,  with  pride,  its  climate, 
through  the  wide  land  ;  but,  if  we  consider  that  there  are  fogs, 
rains,  heavy  cold  winds,  and  atmospheric  pressure,  and  constant 
changes  of  air  and  temperature  during  winter,  we  must  admit  that 
said  climate  is  far  inferior  to  ours  ;  and  that  as  soon  as  the  sick  from 
the  East,  and  even  from  California,  shall  realize  this  fact,  they  will 
fcome  here  in  winter  in  preference  to  California  or  any  other  place. 

Hundreds  of  invalids  from  Los  Angeles,  and  other  parts  of 
Southern  California,  have  come  to  spend  the  winter  season  here,  and 
have  found  out  by  experience  the  advantages  of  our  climate  to 
theirs ;  and  many  from  the  East  begin  to  stop  in  Tucson  rather  than 
venture  the  winter  season  of  California.  All  are  perfectly  delighted ; 
and  it  is  only  a  matter  of  time  when  the  fame  of  our  winter  climate 
will  bring  an  army  of  strangers  from  all  parts  of  the  world." 


SOUTHERN    ARIZONA.  / 

A  clipping  from  the  Arizona  canal  prospectus  gives  an  actual  case 
which  speaks  for  itself: 

"  Col.  William  Christy,  cashier  of  the  Valley  Bank  of  Phoenix,  a 
victim  of  asthma,  aggravated  by  an  old  gun-shot  wound  through  the 
lungs,  received  in  the  late  war,  had  reached  the  stage  where  he  could 
not  lie  down ;  sleep  had  to  be  taken  in  a  sitting  posture.  He  came 
to  Arizona,  and  in  three  months  could  lie  down  and  sleep  as  in 
childhood." 


THE  MAGIC  OF  IRRIGATION. 

^PKOM  every  part  of  Southern  Arizona  come  the  most  cheering 
reports  of  large  crops  and  general  prosperity.  New  fields 
are  being  cultivated.  New  irrigating  canals  are  being  con- 
structed. New  towns  are  being  built.  Valleys  that  but 
a  while  ago  seemed  barren  wastes  are  transformed  by  the  magic 
influence  of  pure,  sweet  water,  into  gardens  blushing  with  flowers 
and  fruits. 

From  the  rivers  that  course  through  Southern  Arizona's  broad 
domain,  active  and  energetic  men  are  leading  out  shining  streams 
and  rivulets  sparkling  like  silver  threads,  more  silvery  where  kissed 
by  the  bright  sunshine  as  it  falls  from  unclouded  skies,  winding  for 
miles  through  the  alfalfa's  richest  verdure,  circling  past  fields  of 
grain  which  gleam  variously  beneath  the  crimson  beams  of  the 
warm  and  genial  west,  bathing  the  feet  of  orange  trees 

"  Whose  fruit  and  blossoms  in  the  breeze 
Are  wantoning  together  free, 
Like  age  at  play  with  infancy." 

Anon  they  bubble  among  the  vines  whose  red  weepings  shall  shortly 
stain  the  wine  press,  or  whose  mummified  clusters  shall  gladden  the 
Christmas  hearth. 

Nature  wreathed  in  smiles  banqueting  through  flowery  vales  and 
lovely  groves,  transforms  a  desert  to  a  paradise  and  brings  to  her 
glad  children  the  nectar  and  ambrosia  of  the  gods. 


8  SOUTHERN   ARIZONA. 

Do  not  think  the  sketch  exaggerated.  He  who  has  not  seen  the 
wonderfiil  effect  of  the  intelligent  application  of  water  to  the  desert 
plains  can  not  understand  the  miraculous  changes  which  it  will  pro- 
duce. 

Listen  to  the  following  story  of  a  disinterested  non-resident  who 
with  the  close  scrutiny  of  a  careful  business  man,  and  while  acting  in 
the  strict  line  of  his  duty,  gives  the  result  of  his  investigations. 

Mr.  E.  W.  Parsons,  Auditor  of  the  Connecticut  Mutual  Life 
Insurance  Company,  at  the  request  of  certain  Eastern  capitalists  who 
were  about  to  make  loans  upon  property  in  Pasadena,  Kiverside  and 
San  Bernardino,  California,  and  in  Phoenix,  Arizona,  came  to  this 
territory  to  investigate  and  report  upon  the  agricultural  resources  of 
the  Salt  Kiver  valley  and  the  values  of  lands.  We  quote  the  follow- 
ing extracts  from  Mr.  Parson's  report : 

"As  to  irrigation,  to  a  New  England  traveler  by  railroad  through 
Southern  California  and  Arizona,  who  for  days  passes  over  what 
appears  to  be  a  barren  desert,  producing  nothing  but  cacti,  sage-brush, 
and  mesquite,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  realize  the  magical  change 
produced  by  a  systematic  application  of  water.  The  desert  lands  can 
be  turned  into  fruitful  vineyards  and  orchards  and  waving  fields  of 
grain  and  clover,  and  be  made  to  bud  and  blossom  as  the  rose. 

One  is  struck  with  amazement  in  visiting  the  vicinity  of  Los  An- 
geles, Pasadena,  San  Bernardino  and  Riverside,  to  see  the  orange 
groves,  peach  orchards,  and  vineyards,  covering  thousands  of  acres, 
and  all  loaded  down  with  fruit  of  the  finest  quality.  All  owing  to 
the  system  of  irrigation  so  little  understood  by  Eastern  people.  It 
was  simple  as  A  B  C,  and  when  in  perfect  order  is  under  as  complete 
control  as  the  water  and  gas  are  in  our  own  city  and  can  be  readily 
applied  to  the  whole  section,  or  any  part  thereof  where  it  may  be 
needed,  at  any  time  and  any  amount  within  the  limits.  I  have  fre- 
quently seen  the  fields  flooded  and  have  let  the  water  on  myself 

The  desert  lands  without  the  water  are  nearly  worthless ;  but 
where  the  water  can  be  applied  the  lands  in  Pasadena  and  Riverside, 
which  but  a  few  years  ago  were  bought  for  from  $20  to  $50  per  acre, 
are  now  worth  $1,000  per  acre. 

In  order  to  shoAv  what  has  been  and  still  can  be  done  (for  it  is 
constantly  taking  place),  I  will  cite  a  few  instances  that  I  learned 
while  on  the  spot. 

Two  gentlemen  in  Riverside,  Cal.,  own  jointly  37  acres,  which  are 
devoted  entirely  to  the  raising  of  oranges  and  grapes.  On  a  certain 
plot  containing  If  acres  of  grape  vines  of  four  years'  growth  the 


SOUTHERN   ARIZONA.  9 

owners  sold  the  product  of  one  crop  to  a  wine-maker,  who  was  to 
gather  them  from  the  vines  at  his  own  expense,  for  over  $1,300.  I 
copied  tliis  myself  from  the  inspector's  certificate.  The  whole  amount 
of  labor  which  the  owners  had  expended  on  this  plot,  including  the 
cost  of  irrigation,  was  not  over  $25. 

A  gentleman  in  Phoenix,  Arizona,  whose  ranch  I  visited,  has  an 
orchard  of  peaches ;  he  assured  me  that  he  had  sold  the  product  of 
that  orchard  for  $500,  and  the  purchaser  was  to  gather  the  fruit 
himself 

A  gentleman  in  Riverside  five  years  ago  bouglit  100  acres  of 
land  for  $2,000.  His  income  from  that  land  at  tliis  time  is  from 
$800  to  $500  per  acre,  and  the  land  to-day  cannot  be  bought  for 
$1,000  per  acre. 

The  wonderful  results  of  irrigation  on  these  desert  lands  have 
attracted  the  attention  of  stock  and  fruit  growers  to  such  an  extent 
that  there  is  a  great  demand  for  lands  that  are  favorably  situated 
for  irrigation.  So  large  a  portion  of  these  lands  in  California  which 
can  be  irrigated,  and  the  high  prices  that  those  which  are  cultivated 
are  held  at,  have  compelled  new  settlers  to  look  for  cheaper  lands, 
and  naturally  their  attention  has  been  called  to  the  Salt  River  val- 
ley, Maricopa  county,  Arizona,  as  the  most  desirable  locality  for 
stock  and  fruit  raising.  There  is  no  one  single  natural  advantage 
possessed  by  the  wonderful  fruit-growing  region  of  Pasadena  or 
Riverside,  Cal.,  that  does  not  exist  in  the  Salt  River  valley  of  Ari- 
zona. But  this  valley  has  natural  advantages  which  do  not  exist  in 
Southern  California,  viz.,  less  variation  in  temperature  and  a  uni- 
formly dry  atmosphere,  admirably  adapted  to  fruit-drying,  and,  what 
is  more  important  and  essential  of  all,  an  abundant  quantity  of 
water,  fiir  exceeding  the  amount  attainable  in  the  irrigating  region 
of  California.     *     ^     * 

For  nine  months  in  the  year  the  climate  of  this  region  is  unsur- 
passed on  the  continent.  There  are  no  fogs,  dew,  or  dampness. 
Lung  complaints  and  malaria  troubles  are  unknown,  and  out-of-door 
life  can  be  enjoyed  all  the  year  round.  The  hottest  portion  of  the 
year  is  in  the  months  of  July  and  August,  during  a  portion  of  which 
it  was  my  fortune  to  be  there.  I  slept  out  of  doors  the  greater  por- 
tion of  the  time,  which  is  the  general  custom,  the  houses  being  built 
one  story  high,  beds  being  placed  on  the  piazza  at  night. 

For  many  days  during  my  stay  the  mercury  ranged  from  110°  to 
115°,  notwithstanding  which  I  suffered  no  more  from  the  heat  than 
I  do  at  home  with  the  mercury  ranging  from  80°  to  90°.  There  is 
no  perspiration  to  be  observed,  the  atmosphere  being  so  dry  that  it 
is  absorbed  as  soon  as  it  reaches  the  surface  of  the  body.     I  did  not 


10  SOUTHERN    ARIZONA. 

feel  the  heat  in  my  head  at  all.  There  are  but  few  weeks  in  the  year 
when  people  feel  as  thougli  they  would  prefer  to  be  nearer  the 
coast. " 

Wherever  in  Southern  Arizona  its  arable  lands  can  be  irrigated 
the  same  wonderful  results  follow  which  have  been  pictured  above. 

Gov.  C.  Meyer  Zulick,  in  his  official  report  to  Hon.  L.  Q.  C. 
Lamar,  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  illustrates  the  rich  rewards  that  flow 
from  the  reclamation  of  the  desert  land  by  irrigation,  with  a  short 
history  of  Mesa  City,  a  thriving  town  in  Maricopa  county.  Governor 
Zulick  says : 

"In  January,  1878,  a  party  of  four,  as  an  exploring  party  for  a 
colony,  located  a  water-right  on  Salt  River  in  Maricopa  county,  and 
entered  the  present  town-site  of  Mesa  City,  consisting  of  640  acres. 
In  February  they  were  joined  by  their  families  and  others,  thirteen 
families  in  all,  and  w^ent  into  camp.  February  18  they  began  active 
operations  excavating  their  ditch  to  irrigate  their  land,  which  was 
completed  and  the  water  introduced  upon  their  town-site  and  farm 
land  after  nine  months  of  hard  labor. 

The  canal  is  owned  by  a  stock  company  consisting  of  200  shares 
with  a  par  value  of  $100  per  share,  which  now  have  a  cash  value  of 
$500  per  share.  The  main  canal  is  10  miles  long,  with  a  capacity 
sufficient  to  reclaim  15,000  acres  of  desert  land.  Several  miles  of 
the  canal  traverse  the  bed  of  an  old  Aztec  ditch  that  had  been  cut 
through  a  layer  of  cement.  This  prehistoric  water  way,  excavated 
probably  thousands  of  years  ago,  was  not  less  than  30  feet  wide  at 
the  top  and  20  feet  at  the  bottom.  It  is  estimated  that  a  saving  of 
$25,000  was  made  by  following  the  alignment  of  this  old  canal, 
which  to  these  pioneers  was  the  important  item  that  made  their 
enterprise  successful. 

The  section  of  land  entered  as  a  town-site  was  divided  into  10- 
acre  blocks  and  these  subdivided  into  1 J  acre  lots  for  residence  and 
business  property  ;  the  land  immediately  surrounding  the  town  was 
entered  by  the  various  members  of  the  colony  for  more  extensive 
agricultural  purposes. 

The  first  water  was  turned  upon  the  land  w^here  the  town  of 
Mesa  now  stands  in  November,  1878,  and  not  until  the  winter  of 
1879-'80  was  much  seeding  or  planting  done,  for  they  had  houses  to 
build,  land  to  clear,  and  other  preparatory  work  to  do.  It  must  be 
remembered  that  this  energetic,  industrious  little  colony  of  thirteen 
persons  settled  upon  a  desert,  where  for  centuries  the  sun  only 
smiled  upon  the  sparse  growth  of  cacti  and  sage-brush ;  where  there 


SOUTHERN    ARIZONA.  11 

was  no  trace  of  verdure,  and  whose  only  visitant  was  an  occasional 
coyote  in  his  lonely  wanderings. 

The  transformation  after  six  years  has  been  complete.  It  is 
regarded  as  a  colony  no  longer.  Mesa  has  a  population  of  700.  The 
original  town-site  is  dotted  over  with  beautiful  homes  built  of  rustic 
redwood  neatly  painted,  some  of  brick,  and  others  of  adobe ;  all 
surrounded  by  fruit  trees  and  vines,  they  present  a  picture  of  Arca- 
dian homes  set  in  groves  of  fig,  almond,  ash,  locust,  pepper,  willow, 
umbrella,  and  pomegranate  trees.  Altogether  there  are  7,000  acres 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  devoted  to  the  raising  of  cereals, 
alfalfa  (French  lucerne),  with  extensive  orchards  and  vineyards 
supplying  and  enriching  a  population  of  1,300  people.  Several 
crops  of  cotton  have  been  raised  here.  Grapes  are  made  into  wine 
and  raisins,  not  excelled  by  those  of  California. 

The  main  street  of  the  town  is  two  miles  long,  with  a  double  row 
of  Cottonwood  trees  40  feet  high  on  each  side,  one  on  the  outer  and 
the  other  on  the  inner  side  of  the  sidewalk,  thus  forming  one  of  the 
most  lovely  alamedas,  or  shady  walks,  imaginable. 

Mesa  has  churches,  schools,  and  stores,  and  is  not  only  a  self- 
sustaining  community  but  raises  a  large  surplus  for  market.  It  is  the 
one  spot  where  can  be  seen  the  ideal  realized,  and  this  is  only  one 
instance  of  many  in  the  Salt  River  and  Gila  valleys  of  Arizona. 
The  great  farms  surrounding  Phoenix  for  20  miles  west,  as  well  as 
those  surrounding  the  town  of  Florence  in  Pinal  county,  will  soon  be 
subdivided  and  nearly  all  of  them  will  be  devoted  to  the  eitrits  and 
deciduous  fruits,  especially  to  raisins  and  wine  grapes,  and  the  olive, 
fig,  orange,  lemon,  and  lime ;  twenty-five  acres  of  this  land  planted 
in  any  of  the  above  fruits  give  a  large  annual  income." 


MARICOPA   COUNTY. 

^IRST  among  the  agricultural  communities  of  Arizona  stands 
Maricopa  county.     It  comprises  an  area  of  5,986,560  acres 
and  embraces  within  its  borders  the  fertile  valley  of  the  Salt 
River  and  a  part  of  the  lower  Gila.     Its  arable  and  irriga- 
ble lands  are  rapidly  being  brought  under  cultivation. 

The  irrigating  canals  in  Maricopa  constructed  and  in  process  of 
construction,  are  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  length  and 
calculated  to   reclaim  six   hundred  thousand  acres   of  land.     The 


12  SOUTHERN    ARIZONA. 

amount  of  money  invested  in  these  canal  enterprises  will  not  fall 
short  of  $1,250,000. 

At  present  there  is  not  over  one  hundred  thousand  acres  thor- 
oughly reclaimed  though  the  lands  covered  already  by  the  canals  and 
which  with  little  labor  can  be  made  susceptible  to  irrigation  amount 
to  nearly  300,000  acres. 

There  is  no  doubt  as  to  the  water  supply  in  the  Salt  River. 
There  is,  indeed;  such  a  great  abundance  that  the  precious  fluid  is 
going  to  waste  which  should  be  applied  to  usefiil  purposes.  Land 
which  is  irrigated  at  regular  intervals  year  after  year,  requires  less 
water  each  succeeding  year  until  the  fourth  or  fifth  year  is  reached. 
The  soil  from  constant  irrigation  gradually  becomes  well  saturated 
and  the  w^ater  beneath  the  soil  gradually  raises  nearer  to  the  surface. 
In  the  Salt  River  valley  the  water  beneath  the  surface  of  the  soil 
has  raised  seventeen  feet  in  ten  years.  Wells  that  then  were  thirty 
feet  deep  to  water  are  now  filled  to  within  thirteen  feet  of  the  top. 
In  some  cases  the  alfalfa  roots  have  struck  the  lower  moisture  ren- 
dering further  irrigation  for  them  unnecessary. 

Heretofore  the  products  of  the  Salt  River  valley  have  been 
principally  grain  and  alfalfa,  but  the  railroad  communication  made 
with  the  Southern  Pacific  provides  a  ready  outlet  for  products 
more  profitable,  but  requiring  rapid  transportation. 

The  farmers  are  turning  their  attention  more  and  more  to  fruit 
and  grape  culture. 

All  kinds  of  deciduous  fruits  grow  to  great  perfection  in  this 
valley.  Especially  is  it  noted  for  its  apricots.  This  fruit  matures 
earlier  by  four  weeks  than  in  California,  and  the  crop  can  be  dis- 
posed of  without  competition.  It  is  a  thrifty  growth,  and  the  yield 
is  large.  A  tree  begins  to  bear  at  tw^o  years'  old,  and  at  four  years 
gives  an  average  return  of  two  hundred  pounds.  These  trees,  when 
well  matured,  yield  a  profit  annually  fi-om  three  hundred  and  fifty 
to  five  hundred  dollars  an  acre. 

There  is  no  spot  on  earth  where  the  grape  grows  to  greater 
perfection,  or  is  more  luscious. 

Mr.  J.  de  Barth  Shorb,  who  is  the  most  experienced  horticult- 
urist and  viniculturist  in  the  United  States,  having  been  for  twenty 
years  largely  identified  with  orange  culture,  grape  growing  and  wine 


SOUTHERN   ARIZONA.  13 

making  in  Southern  California,  gave  as  the  result  of  his  observations 
in  the  valley  the  opinion  that  this  was  a  sherry  district,  unsurpassed 
by  any  in  the  world.  He  also  called  attention  to  the  peculiar  adapt- 
ability of  the  land  to  the  growth  of  raisin  grapes.  The  Mission, 
Muscat  and  Seedless  Sultana  varieties  of  raisin  grape  have  been 
tested  throughout  the  valley  with  the  most  surprising  and  gratifying 
results. 

A  vineyard  will  yield  in  the  third  year  an  average  of  five  tons 
of  grapes  to  the  acre.  The  raisins  can  be  cured  on  the  ground,  and 
the  loss  by  drying  is  only  two-thirds  as  compared  with  three-fourths 
elsewhere.  The  yield  of  the  vineyards  increase  as  the  vines  become 
older. 

The  McPherson  Brothers,  of  California,  have  set  out  a  vineyard 
of  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  raisin  grapes,  which  is  growing 
finely,  and  will  begin  to  bear  next  year. 

The  most  wonderful  feature  in  connection  with  grape  growing  in 
the  Salt  River  valley  is  that  the  soil  is  of  such  exceeding  fertility 
that  grape  vines  commence  to  bear  at  eighteen  months,  and  what  is 
yet  more  remarkable,  there  are  frequent  instances  where  vines  have 
borne  two  crops  in  one  year  ! 

Apples,  pears,  quinces,  peaches,  plums,  nectarines,  cherries,  and 
every  variety  of  fruit  indigenous  to  temperate  latitudes  grow  luxu- 
riantly throughout  the  valley,  and  strawberries,  raspberries,  black- 
berries, currants,  gooseberries,  and  all  varieties  of  small  fruits,  are 
successfully  cultivated. 

The  lands  lying  along  the  Gila  river,  and  the  southern  and  west- 
ern portion  of  Maricopa  county,  seem  to  be  the  natural  home  of  the 
citrus  and  semi-tropical  fruits.  In  the  vicinity  of  Gila  Bend  are 
grown  oranges  more  excellent  in  flavor,  larger  and  better  formed, 
than  those  of  Riverside,  California,  and  equal,  if  not  superior,  to 
those  plucked  from  the  far-famed  groves  of  Mazatlan,  in  Sonora, 
Mexico.  The  lemon  and  lime  flourishes  luxuriantly.  The  culture 
of  the  banana  has  been  attended  with  success.  Pomegranate,  figs, 
citron,  every  fruit,  plant,  grain,  grass  or  vegetable  which  can  be 
produced  in  either  tropic  or  temperate  zone,  will  thrive  in  the  rich 
and  prolific  soils  which  are  to  be  found  in  Maricopa  county.  Two 
crops   of  cereals  can    be  raised  during  the  year,  and  the  soil   is 


14  SOUTHERN    ARIZONA. 

admirably  suited  to  grains  and  grasses.     Alfalfa  grows  the  year 
round,  yielding  from  eight  to  ten  tons  to  the  acre. 

Stock  can  be  pastured  in  the  open  field  during  all  parts  of  the 
year,  and  each  acre  of  alfalfa  will  support  four  head 'of  cattle. 


A    BOOMIXG    CITY. 

Phoenix  is  the  county  seat  of  Maricopa  county.  From  Phoenix 
Junction,  on  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad,  the  Maricopa  and 
Phoenix  Railroad  runs  northerly  to  the  city  of  Phoenix.  From  Pres- 
cott  Junction,  on  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Railroad,  the  Prescott 
and  Central  Arizona  Railroad  is  pushing  south  towards  Phoenix, 
and  about  half  of  the  road  is  already  completed  and  in  operation. 
The  purpose  of  this  line  is  to  connect  the  great  Atchison,  Topeka 
and  Santa  F6  system  with  their  lines  in  Southern  Arizona  and 
Sonora. 

Another  railroad,  from  San  Diego,  passing  near  Yuma,  thence  up 
the  Gila  to  Phoenix,  and  northeasterly  to  intersect  the  Atlantic  and 
Pacific,  and  reduce  the  time  of  travel  between  the  Eastern  States 
and  California,  is  contemplated. 

Another  railroad,  from  Phoenix  to  Florence,  and  through  the  Gila 
valley,  crossing  Graham  county,  and  thence  southeasterly,  to  connect 
with  the  Atchison  and  Topeka  Railroad,  in  New  Mexico,  is  also 
projected.  Phoenix  will  have  every  advantage  which  a  railroad 
center  possesses,  and  which  results  from  railroad  competition  and 
cheap  transportation. 

The  city  of  Phoenix  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  lovely  cities 
in  the  West.  Along  its  streets,  on  each  side,  flow  streams  of  pure 
water,  carrying  to  each  house  and  garden  the  liquid  fertilizer.  Tall 
and  stately  trees  line  the  streets.  Fruits,  flowers  and  shrubbery 
surround  each  residence,  fascinating  the  eye  and  ladening  the  refresh- 
ing breeze  with  rare  and  fragrant  perfumes. 

Its  business  streets  are  crowded  with  an  industrious  and  energetic 
people.  All  is  bustle,  progress  and  activity.  Mechanics  are  busy  ; 
numerous  buildings  are  being  erected ;  several  hotels  are  crowded 
with  guests,  and  others  are  being  built.     There  is  in  the  course  of 


SOUTHERN    ARIZONA.  15 

erection  at  the  present  time  the  Commercial  Hotel,  to  cost  $25,000  ; 
Porter  block,  $20,000;  Patton  block,  $18,000;  Thibod's  building, 
$15,000,  and  numerous  others.  The  city  has  issued  bonds  for  the 
erection  of  a  City  Hall,  and  the  Phoenix  and  Maricopa  Railroad 
have  approved  the  plans  of  a  commodious  depot. 

Franchises  for  street  railroads  have  been  granted,  and  th^  street 
cars  will  soon  be  in  operation. 

Real  estate  transfers  have  been  averaging  over  $200,000  per 
month,  and  are  increasing.  A  short  distance  from  the  city  is  located 
the  Territorial  Insane  Asylum,  a  structure  of  imposing  appearance, 
built  at  a  cost  of  S75,000. 

The  County  Court-house  is  a  handsome  brick  building  of  two 
stories  surmounted  with  a  graceiul  dome.  An  elegant  public  school- 
house  stands  in  a  lovely  plaza  shaded  by  towering  cottonwoods. 
Phoenix  has  gas  works,  planing  mills,  flour  mill,  ice  factories  and 
many  other  industrial  establishments.  Its  population  has  doubled 
within  the  past  year  and  is  now  about  five  thousand. 

The  w^eather  is  warm  in  summer  and  the  thermometer  will  some- 
times indicate  105°,  but  the  altitude  above  the  sea  is  1800  feet  and 
remarkable  as  it  may  seem  the  atmosphere  is  so  pure,  dry  and  balmy 
that  even  when  the  temperature  is  highest  it  is  less  oppressive  and 
far  more  comfortable  than  80°  at  Los  Angeles,  San  Francisco,  or 
any  city  on  the  Atlantic  sea-board. 

The  town  of  Tempe  is  nine  miles  above  Phoenix  on  the  Salt 
river.  It  is  a  flourishing  and  busy  place.  A  great  deal  of  capital 
has  been  invested  there  during  the  past  six  months  and  it  is  growing 
rapidly.  The  Maricopa  and  Phoenix  Railroad  passes  through  it  and 
in  its  suburbs  is  located  the  Territorial  Normal  School.  Its  growth 
will  keep  pace  with  that  of  Phoenix.  We  have  elsewhere  described 
the  lovely  town  of  Mesa  City,  embowered  in  orchards,  vines  and 
flowers.     It  will  be  a  great  sherry  wine  producing  district. 

The  profit  to  be  derived  from  wine  making  is  illustrated,  says  Gov 
Zulick,  in  his  report  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  by  "  The  results 
of  an  experiment  made  by  the  Count  de  Ramey  fi-om  grapes  grown 
in  the  Gila  valley,  near  the  town  of  Florence.  From  a  vineyard  of 
4  acres,  three  years  old,  he  manufactured  60  gallons  of  white  wine, 
superior  to  that  of  California  or  France,  and  in  body  and  flavor 
equal  to  the  best  of  that  of  Spain.     The  white  wine  of  France  and 


16  SOUTHERN    ARIZONA. 

the  best  of  that  of  California  has  8  to  10  degrees  alcohol,  while 
this  contained  the  same  as  the  best  Spanish  wine.  The  product  of  a 
Spanish  vineyard  is  10  pounds  to  the  vine.  His  vineyard  yielded 
100  pounds  of  grapes  to  the  vine.  From  this  vineyard,  only  three 
years  old,  and  containing  only  4  acres,  he  has  this  year  made  3,800 
gallons  of  wine  of  different  kinds,  which  he  has  sold  for  $1  per  gal- 
lon, besides  selling  grapes  to  the  value  of  $500.  The  net  yield  of 
each  acre  has  been  $1,000.  The  testimony  of  vine-culturists  is  that 
there  is  no  better  country  for  the  manufacture  of  wine  than  that  of 
the  Gila  River  and  Salt  River  valleys,  and  the  experimental  test 
above  cited  would  seem  to  fully  bear  out  the  assertion." 


a. 


YUMA    COUNTY. 

TIE  county  of  Yuma  contains  an  area  of  10,138  square  miles. 


Along  its  western  boundary  runs  the  Colorado  river,  a 
navigable  stream,  up  and  down  which  are  regularly  plying 
^•3  steamboats  which  afford  the  great  advantage  of  cheap  Avater 
transportation.  From  east  to  west  the  county  is  traversed  by  the 
Gila  river.  These  rivers  are  capable  of  furnishing  the  water  neces- 
sary to  reclaim  immense  tracts  of  land  and  it  will  not  be  long  before 
Yuma  will  bloom  and  blossom  with  perpetual  fruit  and  flowers. 

The  work  of  reclamation  has  already  begun.  A  canal  from  the 
Gila  has  been  started  and  is  appraaching  completion.  This  canal 
will  irrigate  the  Mohawk  valley  about  sixty  miles  east  of  the  town 
of  Yuma.  The  valley  contains  about  40,000  acres  of  as  fine  land  as 
lies  beneath  the  sun.  Another  canal  is  projected  to  take  w^ater  from 
the  Colorado  river  about  thirty  miles  north  of  the  town.  It  will 
run  in  a  southerly  course  irrigating  about  15,000  acres  of  land  lying 
between  the  Colorado  and  Gila  rivers,  thence  crossing  the  Gila  in  a 
flume  or  pipes  about  one  mile  below  Gila  City  on  the  Southern  Paci- 
fic Railroad,  it  will  irrigate  12,000  acres  between  Gila  City  and  the 
town  of  Yuma.  It  will  then  pass  along  the  foot  of  the  mesas  to  the 
northern  boundary  of  Mexico  rendering  300,000  acres  susceptible  to 
cultivation.  This  canal  will  be  forty  feet  wide  on  the  bottom,  and 
fifteen  to  twenty  feet  in  depth.  Its  length  will  be  one  hundred 
miles.     Other  large  canals  are  contemplated. 


SOUTHERN    ARIZONA.  17 

When  the  proposed  canals  are  completed  Yuma  county  will  be 
one  of  the  richest  horticultural  sections  on  the  globe. 

The  soil  is  as  rich  and  fertile  as  any  upon  the  earth.  The  orange, 
lemon,  lime,  banana,  olive,  %  and  grape  grow  bountifully.  They 
cannot  be  excelled  in  flavor  and  quality  by  any  part  of  the  world. 
Peaches,  plums,  pears — in  fact,  every  variety  of  fruit,  vegetable  or 
nut  known  to  man,  thrive  and  yield  prolifically. 

Here  will  be  the  paradise  of  the  horticulturist.  Six  weeks  before 
the  fruits  of  any  part  of  Southern  California  are  ripe,  those  grown  in 
Yuma  are  ready  for  market,  thus  commanding  ready  sale  at  highest 
prices.  Tobacco,  sugar-cane  and  cotton  are  here  at  home.  Hemp 
grows  wild.  No  place  offers  greater  inducements  to  the  immigrant 
seeking  a  home.  Here  he  can  find  both  wealth  and  health.  The 
climate  has  been  much  misrepresented  by  those  entirely  ignorant  of 
the  subject.  The  mean  temperature  during  June,  July  and  August  is 
85°,  but  the  heat  does  not  produce  discomfort,  as  it  would  on  the 
Atlantic  sea-board,  and  for  nine  months  in  the  year  the  climate  is 
perfection.  It  is  rapidly  becoming  a  winter  resort  for  those  afflicted 
with  pulmonary  diseases,  who  find  immediate  relief  in  this  warm  and 
balmy  air. 

The  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  runs  through  Yuma  county,  fur- 
nishing the  fruit  grower  rapid  transportation  for  his  products. 

The  town  of  Yuma  has  a  population  of  about  twelve  hundred. 
The  S.  P.  R.  R.  Co.  have  erected  a  large  and  pleasant  hotel,  which 
is  kept  in  good  style.  It  overlooks  the  river  and  the  steamboat 
landing.  A  short  distance  from  the  town  is  located  the  territorial 
prison,  a  substantial  building  well  suited  for  the  purpose  intended. 


PINAL    COUNTY. 

„,^».JNAL  COUNTY  has  a  total  area  of  5210  square  miles.    This 
wjM     county  is  now  making  rapid  strides  forward,  and  will  be  one 
of  the  finest  agricultural  and  horticultural  sections  to  be 
found  in  the  "West. 
The  county  has  an  abundant  supply  of  water.     The  Gila  river 
flows  through  it  from  east  to  west,  and  the  San  Pedro  river  runs 


18  SOUTHERN    ARIZONA. 

through  its  southeastern  corner.  There  are  smaller  tributaries. 
Last  year  ten  irrigating  canals  had  reclaimed  30,000  acres  of  land. 
The  work  of  canal  building,  however,  has  just  begun.  The  Florence 
Canal  and  Water  Company  are  constructing  a  great  canal,  which 
will  irrigate  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  acres  of  land.  It 
is  expected  that  fifty  miles  of  this  canal  will  be  completed 
and  in  operation  by  October  1st  of  this  year.  Lateral  ditches 
will  be  constructed,  carrying  water  to  all  the  land  possible.  The 
width  of  the  main  canal  is  twenty-five  feet  on  the  bottom,  with  sides 
sloping  so  as  to  give  an  average  width  of  thirty-six  feet.  It  is 
designed  to  carry  a  volume  of  water  four  feet  deep. 

A  wTiter,  speaking  of  the  lands  which  will  be  covered  by  this 
canal,  says : 

"  The  lands  along  the  canal  are  capable  of  producing  almost 
every  known  product  of  the  temperate  zone  and  many  of  the  semi- 
tropical  fruits.  They  are  a  part  of  the  great  thermal  belt  never 
touched  by  frost,  and  are  therefore  especially  desirable  for  the  growth 
of  citrus  fruits.  Grapes  flourish  with  remarkable  vigor  and  pro- 
ductiveness, and  the  dry  atmosphere  peculiarly  adapts  it  for  raisin 
making.  It  is  a  specially  favored  section,  in  which  almost  every 
thing  of  necessity  or  luxury  can  be  produced  in  abundance,  and 
where  a  home  in  all  its  perfection  can  be  created  in  a  very  few  years. 

It  is  a  grand  enterprise  for  this  portion  of  Arizona,  this  Florence 
canal.  It  is  destined  to  start  the  wheels  of  progress,  and  it  will  lead 
to  other  ncAV  and  equally  important  developments." 

The  olive  flourishes  here  and  produces  fruit  equal  to  that  of 
Santa  Barbara,  California,  w^hich  is  nowhere  excelled.  The  yield  of 
the  raisin  grape  is  as  great  as  in  Maricopa  and  the  experiments 
made  in  wine  making  prove  that  this  will  become  a  source  of  great 
wealth  in  the  future. 

Heretofore  the  farmer  has  directed  his  energies  to  the  growing  of 
grain  and  alfalfa,  but  as  the  means  of  transportation  are  increased 
they  will  turn  their  attention  more  and  more  to  horticulture  which 
will  yield  a  greater  return  for  their  labor. 

A  railroad  is  proposed  fi-om  Phoenix  through  Florence  to  the 
Southern  Pacific  at  Tucson,  and  running  through  this  rich  and  fer- 
tile section.  The  Southern  Pacific  now  passes  through  the  south- 
eastern comer  of  the  county,  but  below  its  most  productive  por- 
tion. 


SOUTHERN    ARIZONA.  19 

With  the  completion  of  the  contemplated  railroad  and  the  open- 
ing of  the  great  canal  and  other  projected  enterprises  a  wonderful 
upward  start  will  be  given  to  the  lands  lying  in  Pinal.  The  re- 
mains of  ancient  canals,  the  wonderful  ruins  of  Casa  Grande,  the 
numerous  mounds,  the  presence  of  broken  pottery  everywhere 
through  the  valley  of  the  Gila,  in  Pinal  county,  are  unmistakable 
evidence  of  a  once  dense  population,  and  the  writer  whom  we  have 
above  quoted  is  not  wrong  in  saying  that 

"  Upon  these  broad  and  fertile  mesa  lands  once  teeming  with  life 
and  activity,  history  will  so  far  repeat  itself  that  in  this  respect  the 
now  barren  desert  will  be  made  to  again  blossom  as  the  rose,  and 
thousands  upon  thousands  of  beautiful  and  happy  homes  will  arise 
above  the  mysterious  ruins  in  fulfillment  of  the  divine  command. 
The  time  has  come  for  the  inevitable  change  and  the  opportunity  is 
ripe." 

"  Money,  enterprise  and  intelligence  have  combined  to  again  turn 
a  portion  of  the  abundant  waters  of  the  Gila  river,  by  nearly  the 
same  course  as  that  in  which  they  were  diverted  in  the  obscured  ages 
of  the  twilight  of  Time,  and  upon  the  same  lands  once  tilled  by  the 
ancient  pioneers  of  whom  so  little  is  really  known.  The  zealous 
antiquarian  might  regard  this  rejuvenation,  or  rather  resurrection,  of 
the  ashes  of  a  dead  civilization  as  a  piece  of  wicked  vandalism,  but 
the  bard  of  the  future  will  weave  a  brilliant  woof  of  sentiment  with 
the  warp  of  old  and  new  history  into  a  web  of  song  that  will  live  on 
forever,  extolling  the  unfolding  and  startling  beauties  of  destiny  and 
evolution." 

Florence,  the  county  seat,  is  situated  in  the  Gila  River  valley, 
about  twenty-five  miles  north  of  Casa  Grande  station,  on  the  Southern 
Pacific  Railroad.  It  is  a  delightful  garden  spot.  Living  streams 
of  water  course  along  its  well  shaded  streets.  Every  home  sur- 
rounded with  flowers,  vines  and  trees  is  charmingly  picturesque  and 
beautiful.  The  population  is  about  2,000,  but  recently  has  been 
growing  very  rapidly  and  attracting  general  attention. 


20  SOUTHERN    ARIZONA. 


PIMA  COUNTY 


^fy-jpw7HERE  is  an  abundant  supply  of  agricultural  land  in  Pima 


(U        'j      county,  which  but  requires  irrigation  to  render  it  fruitful, 
prolific  and  second  to  none  in  Arizona. 
^^3  All  varieties  of  deciduous  fruits  can  be  produced.     The 

fig  tree  grows  to  perfection.  Grain,  alfalfa  and  vegetables  thrive 
well.  The  soil  everywhere  is  exceedingly  fertile  and  productive, 
but  until  recently  little  attention  has  been  given  to  irrigation  and 
farming.  The  commercial  activity  of  its  principal  towns  and  the 
development  of  its  rich  mines  have  absorbed  the  attention  of  its  peo- 
ple. But  mthin  the  past  year  careful  investigations  of  its  water 
supply  have  been  made  and  several  important  irrigation  canals  have 
been  projected.  It  will  not  be  long  before  Pima  ^vill  bring  its 
arable  and  irrigable  lands  under  cultivation. 

Mr.  Patrick  Hamilton  made  the  following  estimate  of  the  agricul- 
tural lands  in  Pima  county  susceptible  of  irrigation : 

Santa  Cruz  valley,  from  the  line  of  Sonora  to  a  short  distance 
north  of  Tucson,  45,000  acres.  Sopori  creek,  about  600  acres. 
Arivaca  and  Sasabi  flats,  about  1,000  acres. 

Sonoita  valley,  2,000  acres. 

Babacomari  valley,  1,000  acres. 

Cienaga,  above  Pantano,  2,000  acres. 

Rillito  creek,  east  and  north  of  Tucson,  1,000  acres. 

Tanque  Verde,  east  of  Tucson,  1,000  acres. 

San  Pedro  valley,  6,000  acres. 

San  Rafael  and  Sycamore  creek,  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the 
county,  2,000  acres. 

The  people  of  Tucson  have  awakened  to  the  importance  of  the 
farming  industry  of  the  county.  A  large  canal  to  be  taken  from 
the  Santa  Cruz  river  is  to  be  constructed. 

Another  irrigating  ditch  is  being  taken  out  of  the  Rillito  creek 
which  though  dry  at  the  surface  has  an  underground  flow.  The 
experiment,  if  successful,  will  be  an  example  that  will  be  speedily 
followed  elsewhere  in  the  county.  The  Star,  of  Tucson,  describes 
this  important  undertaking  as  follows : 


SOUTHERN   ARIZONA.  21 

"  The  Davidson  irrigating  ditch  on  the  Rillito  is  progressing  most 
encouragingly.  Sixty  men  are  employed.  Over  two  hundred  feet 
of  the  cement  flume  is  finished  and  its  construction  will  now  go 
forward  at  the  rate  of  seventy-five  feet  daily.  The  carpenter  work 
for  the  underground  flume  is  being  pushed  with  rapidity  and  a  few 
days  will  see  it  in  place  and  the  underflow  stream  of  the  Rillito  as  it 
rises  pouring  through  the  cement  flume. 

The  scheme  is  not  only  a  very  practicable  one,  but  will  be  a 
success  in  every  particular ;  there  will  be  about  4,000  inches  of 
water  beyond  a  doubt  carried  out  by  the  flume  and  probably  four 
times  that  quantity  will  be  the  result. 

The  system  adopted  means  to  catch  the  underflow  of  water  in  the 
Rillito  valley,  and  the  plan  adopted  will  secure  the  result.  About 
ten  thousand  feet  of  underground  tunneling  wdll  direct  all  the  water 
into  the  flume  which  is  constructed  of  cement,  and  when  complete 
will  be  from  five  to  fifteen  feet  imder  the  surface  bed  of  the  river. 

This  project  is  the  first  that  has  been  attempted  in  Arizona  to 
bring  the  underflow  of  water  to  the  surface,  but  it  is  the  project  that 
will  prove  the  initial  step  of  a  system  for  irrigation  that  will  revolu- 
tionize irrigation  in  Arizona  and  will  make  many  thousands  of 
acres  capable  of  reclamation,  which  under  the  old  system  of  depend- 
ing entirely  upon  surface  water  could  not  be  utilized.  The  Star  is 
free  to  say  that  it  believes  that  every  acre  of  land  in  the  Rillito  valley 
can  and  will  be  reclaimed  to  agricultural  purposes  through  the  new 
system  of  irrigation.     The  Davidson  ditch  will  be  the  beginning." 

Tucson  is  the  county  seat.  Rich  mines  wdthin  the  radius  of  a 
few  miles  together  with  its  commercial  advantages  and  location  have 
made  it  a  large  and  populous  town,  while  the  wonderful  salubrity  of 
its  climate  is  attracting  to  it  invalids  from  all  parts  of  the  United 

States. 


GRAHAM  COUNTY. 

-f^m  RAHAM  COUNTY  contains  an  area  of  6,485  square  miles 
[\\\^^  and  is  abundantly  supplied  w^ith  water.  The  Gila  river  runs 
ilJ\\^n?  through  it  from  its  eastern  to  its  western  boundary  and  is 
fed  by  many  tributaries  among  which  are  the  San  Fran- 
cisco, the  Blue,  Eagle  Creek  and  Bonita.  Graham  county  has  long 
been  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  agricultural  counties  of  Ari- 
zona.      Its  fertile  soil  is  peculiarly  suited  to  fruits  of  the   hardiest 


22  SOUTHERN   ARIZONA. 

varieties.  Apples,  plums,  cherries,  peaches  and  grapes  thrive  well  as 
do  also  the  smaller  fruits  such  as  strawberries,  blackberries,  goose- 
berries and  currants.  Fruit  culture  has  as  yet  hardly  begun,  but 
the  ample  facilities  for  irrigation  will  develop  this  industry  as  soon 
as  railroad  transportation  shall  afford  a  market.  Solomonville  is  the 
county  seat. 


GILA    COUNTY, 


^i  ILA  COUNTY  possesses  large  tracts  of  land,  which  can  be 
i*'^^^     easily  irrigated  from  its  abundant  supply  of  water.     The 


rr  land  which  lies  along  the  line  of  the  contemplated  Min- 
eral Belt  railroad  is  very  fertile.  The  soil  is  a  rich,  sandy 
loam,  which  will  grow  almost  anything,  but  its  present  distance  from 
all  rail  communication  retards  all  attempts  at  fruit  culture.  Con- 
taining, as  it  does,  some  of  the  richest  mines  in  the  territory,  it  can 
afford  to  postpone  its  agricultural  development.  Globe,  an  enter- 
prising mining  town,  is  its  county  seat. 


COCHISE    COUNTY. 

The  immense  mining  and  cattle  interests  of  Cochise  county 
have  absorbed  the  attention  of  its  inhabitants  to  the  exclusion  of 
farming.  Its  mines  are  said  to  have  produced  $25,000,000,  and 
its  cattle  number  75,000  head.     Tombstone  is  its  county  seat. 


A    CITRUS    BELT. 

•N  Yuma,  Maricopa  and  Pinal  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  orange, 
lemon,  lime,  banana,  fig  and  raisin  grape  can  be  successfully 
cultivated.  There  is  an  ample  sufficiency  of  water  to  irrigate 
^  all  the  arable  lands  in  the  Gila  and  Salt  River  valleys.  The 
immense  profits  which  can  be  realized  from  the  production  of  the 
citrus  and  semi-tropical  fruits,  the  culture  of  the  raisin  grape,  and 


SOUTHERN   ARIZONA.  23 

the  manufacture  of  sherry  and  other  wines,  will  cause  the  lands  in 
these  counties  to  rapidly  appreciate  in  value. 

The  Pacific  Fruit  Grower  publishes  the  following  as  the  cost 
of  a  ten-acre  orange  orchard  three  years  from  planting,  allowing  the 
price  paid  for  the  land  to  be  $250  per  acre,  and  the  rental  of  water 
$3  per  acre : 

"Ten  acres  of  land $2,500.00 

Preparing  the  ground 50.00 

One  thousand  trees   1,000.00 

Planting  complete 50.00 

Water,  first  year 30.00 

Care  of  orchard,  first  year 200.00 

Incidentals 70.00 

$3,900.00 
The  two  following  years,  counting  interest  on  investment 

at  eight  per  cent,  will  cost 1,320.00 

Cost  of  orchard $5,220.00 

At  the  end  of  the  third  year  the  orchard  will  bear  enough  to  pay 
the  interest  on  the  investment  at  ten  per  cent,  and  ought  to  do  a  good 
deal  more  than  that.  In  two  years  more  it  will  bear  from  one  to 
one  and  a  half  boxes  to  the  tree,  which  for  navel  oranges  this  year 
would  be  from  $4,000  to  $6,000  for  the  product  of  the  orchard. 
From  that  figure  it  will  gradually  advance. 

Mr.  Hewitt's  orchards  (formerly  Twogood's)  contains  about 
twenty  acres,  only  twelve  of  which  are  in  bearing.  From  these 
twelve  acres  he  sold  this  year's  crop  of  oranges,  on  the  trees,  for 
$10,000.  The  greater  part  of  it  was  planted  to  seedlings  in  1872- 
73,  the  other  varieties  not  being  planted  until  1877-78.  The  seed- 
Jiiigs  were  four  years  old. 

Hp  Mr.  Johnson  has  twenty  acres  in  oranges  and  grapes.  The 
"oranges  were  sold,  this  season,  on  the  trees,  for  $8,000,  and  the 
jrapes  for  $2,500.     Many  other  similar  examples  might  be  adduced." 

In  Southern  Arizona,  where  land  can  be  had  for  SIO  an  acre, 
id  water  at  $1.25,  the  original  cost  of  the  ten-acre  orchard  would 

less  than  $1,500,  instead  of  $3,900,  while  the  profits  would  be 
iater,  as  the' fruit  maturing  three  weeks  earlier  would  find  a  higher 
irket. 


24  SOUTHERN   ARIZONA. 


WATER    AND    ITS    COST. 

HAVE  attempted  in  a  brief  manner  to  give  more  fully  a  clear 
idea  of  the  Salt,  Gila  and  Colorado  valleys,  embraced  within  the 
counties  of  Maricopa,  Pinal  and  Yuma,  and  to  show  their 
fertility,  and  demonstrate  the  value  of  their  lands  to  those 
seeking  homes.  It  only  remains  to  add  a  few  words,  general  in  their 
character,  in  reference  to  the  cost  of  reclamation  of  land,  incident  to 
the  necessity  of  irrigation,  and  the  price  at  which  reclaimed  lands 
can  be  purchased,  and  my  task  is  done. 

The  laws  of  Arizona  permit  any  person  to  appropriate  water  for 
mining  and  agricultural  purposes,  but  does  not  sanction  the  English 
common  law  principle  of  riparian  rights.  The  territory  claims  the 
power  to  regulate  the  water  supply,  so  as  to  prevent  undue  waste, 
and  also,  if  occasion  requires,  to  fix  its  price,  so  as  to  prevent  extor- 
tion on  the  part  of  ditch  owners. 

Water  has  been  so  abundant  heretofore  that  it  has  been  used 
with  great  prodigality.  Irrigation  has  been  by  flooding,  which  is 
wasteful  as  compared  to  sub-irrigation.  It  is  doubtful  if  in  the  val- 
leys under  review  there  will  be  any  necessity  for  a  resort  to  those 
methods  of  irrigation  which  entail  a  more  economical  use  of  water. 
The  Bait  river  supplies  more  water  than  all  the  streams  in 
Southern  California  combined  ;  the  Gila,  as  it  flows  through  Pinal, 
Maricopa  and  Yuma  counties,  could  supply  water  for  treble  the 
quantity  of  land  that  can  be  brought  under  canals,  while  the  Colo- 
rado is  navigable  for  more  than  one  hundred  miles  above  the  town 
of  Yuma.  Many  of  the  canals  in  these  valleys  are  owned  by  the 
proprietors  of  the  lands,  and  therefore  are  taxed  only  for  keeping  the 
ditches  in  repair.  When  this  is  not  the  case,  the  canals  sell  the 
water  at  a  fixed  rate,  making  a  charge  upon  the  land  cultivated, 
varying  from  one  dollar  to  one  dollar  and  a  half  per  acre. 

In  all  of  these  counties  land  can  be  entered  along  canals  no^ 
being  constructed  and  lands  can  be  purchased  that  have  beei 
already  reclaimed  at  from  ten  to  fifty  dollars  per  acre,  according 
the  value  of  the  improvements  made  thereon. 


SOUTHERN    ARIZONA.  ^1 

111  the  Salt  River  valley  land  lying  near  to  the  towns  of  Phoenix, 
Tempe,  or  Mesa  City  has  more  than  doubled  its  value  within  a 
year.  These  lands  for  the  most  part  are  in  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion and  are  selling  at  from  thirty  to  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre. 
In  Pinal  land  is  selling  at  from  ten  to  thirty  dollars  per  acre  with 
water  rights  and  is  rapidly  appreciating. 

When  it  is  considered  that  on  any  of  these  lands  the  same  fruits 
can  be  raised  as  in  California;  that  they  mature  three  weeks  earlier 
than  in  that  State;  that  here  raisins  can  be  picked  from  the  vines 
and  cured  on  the  ground  ;  that  trees  bear  at  two  years  old,  and  vines 
in  eighteen  months ;  that  the  adaptability  of  the  soil  to  the  growth 
of  the  raisin  grape  has  been  such  as  to  induce  men  like  the 
McPhersons,  experienced  in  the  business,  to  buy  and  plant  a  section 
(640  acres)  in  raisin  grapes  in  the  Salt  River  valley ;  that  in  wine 
making  the  most  profitable  results  can  be  obtained,  then  it  follows 
that  here  above  all  other  places  is  the  spot  for  the  man  to  seek  a 
home,  who  desires  to  enjoy  ease  and  independence  with  moderate 
labor. 

The  industrious,  frugal  horticulturalist  can  support  his  family, 
rear  and  educate  his  children  and  lay  by  a  store  for  old  age  upon 
ten  acres  of  land. 

Ten  acres  in  grapes  or  fruits  in  any  portion  of  the  Salt  or  Gila 
valleys  will  yield  a  greater  return  than  300  acres  in  Kansas,  or  any 
of  the  Western  States. 

Orchard  land  in  Southern  California  sells  at  from  two  to  five 
hundred  dollars  per  acre,  here  in  Southern  Arizona  at  from  ten  to 
one  hundred  dollars  and  here  it  can  be  reclaimed  at  a  cost  not 
exceeding  six  dollars  per  acre. 

Here  the  climate  for  nine  months  in  the  year  cannot  be  sur- 
passed in  any  country.  The  summer  months  are  warm  but  neither 
oppressive  nor  unhealthful.  Here  there  are  no  malarial  diseases, 
fevers,  chills,  pneumonia  or  those  afliictions  so  prevalent  elsewhere. 

I       Here  those  affected  with   pulmonary  complaints  can  live   and 
enjoy  life. 
The  country  is  rapidly  filling  up  with  the  best  class  of  citizens. 
Railroads  are  being  constructed  through  both  the  Gila  and  Salt  River 
t 


26  SOUTHERN   ARIZONA. 

valleys.     Lands  are  rapidly  being  reclaimed  and  occupied  by  citi- 
zens from  both  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Slopes. 

Land  values  are  appreciating  and  Yuma,  Pinal  and  Maricopa 
counties  will  soon  support  a  very  dense  population. 


STATISTICAL    INFORMATION. 

OK  PATRICK  HAMILTON,  who,  until  recently,  has  filled, 
~        with  marked  ability,  the  oflftce  of  Commissioner  of  Immi- 


gration, has  written  in  the  most  fascinating  style  several 
works,  intended  as  guides  and  reference  books,  containing 
complete,  accurate,  and  trustworthy  information  concerning  all 
things  which  would  interest  any  one  who  desired  to  make  a  home  in 
Arizona.  With  an  experience  gained  from  a  long  residence  in  the 
territory,  and  by  a  careful  compilation  of  statistics  and  consulta- 
tion of  authorities,  Mr.  Hamilton  was  enabled  to  produce  a  book  of 
singular  interest,  embracing  the  history,  topography,  scenery  and 
geological  features ;  fauna  and  flora,  counties  and  towns,  climate, 
mining,  timber,  coal  and  agricultural  resources  of  Arizona  ;  its 
schools,  churches,  society,  and,  in  fact,  all  the  information  which  any 
person  could  wish  who  contemplated  a  residence  in  the  territory. 

Those  who  desire  to  know  all  about  Arizona  and  its  varied 
resources,  will  be  furnished  with  Mr.  Hamilton's  "  Arizona  for 
Homes"  free  (postage  prepaid),  upon  application  to  the  Commis- 
sioner of  Immigration,  Phoenix,  Arizona. 


^^g^^ggjMMMMl^ggJilggg^^gjgT?^  i^iaiigf t?^  igiTg^ig^i^:g^l^^jfer^^^^g^^^ 


For  information  concerning 


/4c/dress 


AKizom 

C7IMEKON  B-  KII^Q, 

Commissioner  of  Immigration, 
Plicenix,  ;4rizona,  Lf. 


^•A 


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